《TAIPEI TIMES》 Applications for new rent subsidies to start on July 1

By Lee Hsin-fang and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writer

Tenants can from July 1 apply to access a NT$30 billion （US$1.01 billion） relief program set up by the Executive Yuan, the Construction and Planning Agency said yesterday.

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The program, set up to offer relief to tenants affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, would accept applications through an online platform, it said.

At least 500,000 newlywed couples, families with young children and singles living alone would benefit from the housing subsidy, which was first announced in March, the agency said.

The program offers subsidies to four times more families than had been eligible for the previous program, which was capped at 12,000 families, and is a significant expansion of the government’s rent relief efforts, it said.

Families can benefit from the new program if the average income of its members — including those not in the workforce — is lower than 2.5 times the government’s standard amount for the cost of living.

The program’s predecessor set the threshold at three times the cost of living.

Families enrolled in the program would receive 1.2 to 1.8 times their monthly rent, depending on their income and number of dependents.

Participants in expiring housing subsidy programs must reapply to stay enrolled within 10 days of receiving notice, the agency said

Deputy Minister of the Interior Hua Ching-chun （花敬群） on Friday told the Chinese-language Liberty Times （sister paper of the Taipei Times） that the program was designed to be scalable, as an estimated 700,000 families are eligible.

Premier Su Tseng-chang （蘇貞昌） had ordered that housing subsidies be designed to accommodate potential expansions, Hua said, adding that if needed, the program’s budget would be increased.

People can apply at has.cpami.gov.tw/subsidyOnline/house300e, the agency said, adding that it would send out paper applications on request.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES